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In Seattle, teachers at Garfield High School — alma mater to Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee, among other notables — have decided to boycott the district's standardized tests, calling them a waste of time and money. Their action, which has spread to at least one other school, has generated a debate over testing and its role.

Down in Texas, meanwhile, state Rep. Jim Pitts — a conservative Republican who heads the House Budget committee — has sparked talk in his own way by zeroing out the state's standardized testing budget. This is the same state where districts by the hundred came out calling for a reduction in high-stakes testing after its now-former state education chief agreed Texas was testing too much.

Here in Florida, the topic continues to get an airing, too. Several school boards have called for a reduction in testing, and some districts (notably Duval) have taken steps on their own to limit tests administered locally. High ranking lawmakers, meanwhile, have insisted that testing is a key part of the state's outcomes-based accountability system, a position new commissioner of education Tony Bennett shares.

Does Florida need dramatic steps, such as what's going on in Seattle and Austin, though, to really generate a meaningful discussion about the value and the limitations of testing? If so, who's going to step up and make it happen?

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.